hi yet again another problem...never realised dogs could get so many !!!!
a few months ago we noticed were you can imagine the underarms to be on my bitch red patches. we took her to the vets and they said they did not no what it was but give us antibiotics. well now i noticed the other day her chest is going bold very red and dry and looks really sore and scabbed. i also noticed in one ear its also red and blotchy. any advice appreciated please.

Try using a tea tree oil spray.  It helped with my girls Demodex.

Did the vets do a skin scraping, and check for mites?  Demodex?  I ask specifically about demo, because thats where my girl first went bald, and then her neck, then around her eyes to her ears.  Put her on Demo meds, and 4 months later, she is almost good as new!  (used the drops, not the bath)

Good luck!!!!

no i have had her at the vets and getting pretty annoyed they said they did not no what it was and give us antibiotics.

Hi Stanyer,
V sorry to hear this, sounds like it might be time to try another vet? Or phone the Royal Vet College and have a free consultation on the phone with a qualified vet nurse.
I hope it gets better soon.

i did not realise you could do that, last week they give us some tablets that they said would get rid of the redness but today when i got in from work i could not believe how much worse its getting. its on her shoulders and font legs and chest now. the vet took a scrape after we had to ask them to and he said it was not mites but there was def something there and he would give us some treatment for it. when i asked him what it was he said he did not know. it just looks very like psorisis to me very red and dry.

were did you get that from. so what is demodex then. im really concerned cos its getting worse and they say they dont no what it was, they did say it was not mites tho

When my girl was scraped, they didnt find active mites either.  Most skin problems, have scrapings done AFTER the damage is already done.  The mites live, cause the damage, and then die off, so by the time a scrapping is done, there is no real evidence for the mites (from what I was told).  My breed is prone to Demodex, so they treated based on what the skin presented like, and hoped for the best.

Demodex is something every pet is born with.  It is passed on from the mother, to the pup during birth.  If the pup (or adult dog as well, but more commonly seen in pups) is stressed out from something (a surgery, a move, etc) then these mites come out of dormancy and start eating the hair folicles.  There sometimes is itching, but my girl didnt itch to much from it.  Only at certain times. 

Here is a link, to Veterinary Partner's article on Demodex.  Its a good site, although sometimes confusing when you use the search menus, if you dont know exactly what you are looking for, and havent spelt it correctly.

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=630

The meds that I put my girl on where called "Advantage Multi".  Dont know if you can get it outside North America though, but its a multi med, that covers heartworms, fleas, ticks, parasites, and demodex.  Some other people I know, have used a bath called Imaverol.  I didnt want to do this, as I wondered if I was putting my dog in something, but I had to protect my hands and arms with gloves, whether it was really safe for the dog.

Here is another link:
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1561

Its a condition called Seborrhea, and it also presents at the places you have mentioned.  Unfortunately, with this one, there is no cure, only management. 

Hope this helps.

thankyou, will look into it. im just sick of paying do much money on things that are not even working. but yes she is not itching hers at all ( dont no if that is cos she prob could not reach it. but it is red and very dry. she is also acting very strange whining alot wanting to be constantly cuddled and she is hiding away under the bed and stuff alot. this has been going on for 2 weeks now. not sure if this could have something to do with it. a few people had asked if it was maybe cos she was coming into season but she is not due for another couple of months.

Hopefully it can be figured out soon what is causing the problem.

The problem with skin conditions as a symptom, is it could be SO many things.  It could be as simple as allergies that are causing it, all the way to more serious health issues. 

It also depends on the breed of dog too, which hasnt been mentioned, so some breeds are prone to skin problems.  For example, a recessive coloured dog (ie a Blue Min Pin) will have more skin problems and bad coat than a dominant coloured (red min pin) 

I wouldnt blame the vet, as it is so hard to try and pin point a problem.  Especially something so wide ranged as a skin problem.  I personally will change vets within the same practice depending on the problem and/or the dog.  There are 3 vets in my vet clinic, and they all have their areas, you know what I mean.  If its possible, try going to another vet within your vet clinic.  Just a different fresh look.

Just next time you go, be a little forcefull with what you want done.  This is your pet, your money, and your time.  You can say "Ok this ABs didnt work, so now its time to go to the next best thing."  Also bring up that you read about Demo and Seb, and ask "Could this be it?". 

Good luck at the vets, let us know how you get on.
 

How about bathing her in something like hibiscrub - you can get this from boots or chemists and costs around £8 for a bottle.

Lavender is also good for human skin and has good healing properties, not sure about using it on dogs but i'm sure if mixed with something like aqueous creamm it might help.

mags is a year old springer spaniel, i have noticed there is lots of little scabs all over it (or at least thats what it looks like), i understand what you say about the vet but i just sometimes feel like they dont have no time for you and just give you anything.

I would also be asking the vet to look at thyroid conditions which can also affect skin and coat condition inc ears
plus also have change in behaviour.

To check if the problem is one of thyroid they'd need to do a blood test.

With it being a springer, I would be wondering about yeast build up.  With the cronic ear problems with the springer, they scratch the ears, and then scratch their elbows etc, and it passes the yeast round the body. 

But this is just a guess, from 15 years worth of Springer Spaniel.  Joy had problems too, noticing bald itchy scaly patches.  She was constantly on AB, for yeast build ups. 

Joy was put on ear drops, that took the humidity out of the inner ear.  I cant for the life of me remember what they were called.  When she did have a flair up, she was put on Otomax.  Thats easy to remember, cos I was buying it all the time!!!!

Knowing the breed you are talking about makes it a little easier.  I would now be wondering about that. Your long eared, floppy eared, dogs constantly have ear problems.  The air cant dry out the ear, so it becomes a nice breeding ground for yeast. 

If its yeast in the ear, it will smell really sweet smelling. 

Have the vets check the inner ear.  Sometimes, with Joy, you couldnt see redness on the ear leather, they would have to take a Q-Tip down the ear to find the problem.  They could smell it, but couldnt see it.  Only when it got really bad, could you see the redness on the leather, and notice a real problem.

>She was constantly on AB, for yeast build ups

I would have thought antibiotics would make a yeast infection a hundred times worse - did you mean antifungals maybe? :-P

Yes, I meant Anti Fungal!!!!  Sorry  opps

i just feel lke when i mention stuff like this to the vets they dont seem to take notice will take her for a second opinion. i have just noticed today my dog looks like he is getting it too.

If you are feeling that way, it may be good to switch vets.  You need a good relationship with your vet, as they are taking care of your four legged baby. 

I can totally understand your frustration, as it is so frustrating when you are doing all you can by your dog, and then you still feel helpless cos its not working. 

yes i am feeling this with both my dogs at the mo so very frustrated. i cant believe how mant problems i seem to be having with my springers.